Kone med barn i amaut, ved Nuuk 1859 - 1860

Rasmus Berthelsen created this print of a woman and child in Greenland during the 19th century. The woman wears an amaut, a traditional garment designed to carry a child close to the mother’s body for warmth and safety. Prints like this one reflect the colonial gaze of the time, which aimed to document and classify indigenous cultures. Greenland, as a Danish colony, was subject to intense scrutiny by European ethnographers and artists. The image, therefore, isn't just a neutral record. The print also conveys a sense of cultural encounter, the artist being Greenlandic rather than Danish. Berthelsen's insider perspective presents a softer image than the more overtly exploitative images of colonialism. To fully understand this print, we need to consider the social history of Greenland, examining colonial archives, missionary records, and indigenous accounts. These sources help us to interpret the image and its role in shaping perceptions of Greenlandic identity.